Container partition assembling apparatus



Dec. 28, 1965 w. E. LOVETT ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1963 INVENTOR WILLIAM E. LOVETT and BY GEORGE F. HARRINGTON W. E. LOVETT ETAL CONTAINER PARTITION ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Dec. 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1963 ETT and R\N6TON INVENTORS WILLIAM E. Lov By GEORGE F. HAR WMs Wmfl/ United States Patent 3,225,665 CONTAINER PARTETION ASSEMBLING APPARATUS William E. Lovett, Acton, and George F. Harrington,

Indianapolis, Ind, assignors to Economation, Inc., In-

dianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed May 15, 1963, Ser. No. 280,553 8 Claims. (Cl. 93-37) This invention relates generally to apparatus for assembling partitions which divide containers into cells, and in particular to an apparatus for this purpose which is greatly simplified and of reduced cost in comparison to prior art apparatus.

Machines for assembling partitions of the type here referred to have long been known in the art. These prior art devices are characterized by relatively large size, complicated and difficult to adjust components, and are quite costly. One reason for this is that these prior art structures attempt to align multiple, parallel rows of slotted partitions and then feed into assembled relation with this row of partitions a second group of aligned parallel partitions so that the complete multiple cell partition assembly is completed in one stroke or cycle of the machine. Since these prior art machines are large and costly, it is generally not economically feasible for the small or mediumsized manufacturer of products going into cell partitioned containers to maintain such machines at his plant. He must therefore buy the partitions from his fiberboard supplier already assembled. Such assembled partitions, even when collapsed, occupy more storage space than unassembled partition members and transportation cost for the assembled structures is approximately one-third greater than that for unassembled partition members.

The apparatus of the present invention is relatively small, simple to adjust and its cost of manufacture and maintenance is such that small and medium sized manufacturers of products to be cell-packaged can economically operate the apparatus at their own plant thereby reducing shipping and storage cost of pre-assembled partitions. The simplification of the apparatus, as compared to prior art devices, results from, among other factors, the moving away from the concept of assembling a complete partition assembly simultaneously, that is, with one stroke or cycle of the machine.

In contrast, the apparatus of the present invention provides two, opposed magazines holding unassembled partitions, the magazines being disposed at a 90 angle with respect to each other. Each cycle or stroke of the apparatus projects one partition member from each magazine and these are mated or interlocked midway between the magazines. The magazines then index to new positions and the projecting of one partition member from each magazine is repeated. This mating of one pair of partition members at a time continues until the partition assembly is completed whereupon the completed assembly is ejected from the machine and the magazines are returned to starting position. Since the joining of one pair of partition members per stroke of the machine requires only simplified mechanical action, and because of the novel supporting means of the partition members during assembly, the speed of the machine can be relatively rapid and the time for assembling a complete partition cell unit compares quite favorably with that of the more complicated and expensive prior art structures.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type referred to which is relatively small in size and simplified in operation permitting wider at-the-packaging-site use of the apparatus as compared to prior art devices.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type referred to which utilizes a novel support and guiding means for the partition members during the assembling operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type referred to which utilizes two, opposed magazine assemblies placed transverse to each other and movable rectilinearly in increments to complete the assembly of a cell unit.

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with one of the magazine support frames and the magazine supported thereby removed.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus, with portions omitted for clarity and showing the completed cell partition assembly ejector mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of the present invention showing particularly a loaded magazine with the means for projecting the lowermost of a stack of partition members through the magazine feed aperture,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a com pleted partition cell assembly in the apparatus.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, the apparatus of the present invention includes a supporting base indicated generally at 10, the base including spaced cross members 11. The members 11 have slots 12 in their upper faces and adjacent one of their ends, the slots receiving abutments extending downwardly from the support pedestals 13 and 15. The support pedestals 13 and 15 carry lugs 14 which are threaded to receive a threaded shaft 16. The unitary shaft 16 extends through both the lugs 14 carried by the support pedestals 13 and 15. Rotation of the shaft 16 thus serves to displace the support pedestals 13 and 15 toward or away from each other to increase or decrease the spacing therebetween depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft 16. Rigidly supported on the pedestal 13 is a magazine support frame 17 having a generally rectangular configuration. Similarly, a magazine support frame 18 is rigidly supported on the pedestal 15. As will be subsequently described, the partition members are assembled between the two magazine support frames and, in order to accommodate partitions of various depths, the magazine support frames must be movable toward and away from each other. It will be understood that the use of the movable support pedestals and the cooperating shaft 16 is merely one way of obtaining this required adjustment motion and that the same effect could be obtained by utilizing stationary pedestals 13 and 15 and moving, by any suitable means, the magazine support frames toward and away from each other with such movement occurring between the frames and support pedestals.

Each of the frames 17 and 18 have mounted thereon a magazine 21 and 22 respectively. The magazines fit Within their respective frames and are movable rectilinearly with relation to the frames. Power means in the form of pneumatic cylinders are mounted on the frames and move the magazines within the frames. These pneumatic power means are indicated at 23 and 24 in FIG. 1; these acting upon the magazine 21. While the power means for providing motion of the magazine 22 is not visible in FIG. 1, it will be understood that the frame 18 carries similar pneumatic magazine actuating means. Control switches 26 and 27 are placed on the frame 17 so as to be actuated by the magazine when in its extreme upper and lower positions as will subsequently be described. It will be understood that, while not visible in FIG. 1, similar control switches are actuated by the magazine 22 when in its upper and lower positions.

The magazines 21 and 22 are identical and, as will be apparent from FIG. 1, the axes of movement of the magazines are at 90 with each other. The magazines have planar, opposed faces, the face of the magazine 22 being indicated at 220 in FIG. 2. The corresponding opposed face of the magazine 17 is, of course, not visible in FIG. 1, however, it will be understood that the planar face of the magazine 21 is a duplicate of the face 22a of the magazine 22. As will be evident from FIGS. 1 and 4, the side of the magazines opposite their planar faces have outwardly extending members 28 which are joined by a transverse member 29. An aperture is provided in the member 29 through which freely extends a shaft 31. The inner end of the shaft carries a member 32 (FIG. 4) which extends between the members 28. The function of the member 32 is to engage and move the lowermost partition member in the stack of partition members indicated at 33 in FIG. 4.

As may best be seen in FIG. 1, the shaft 31 is provided with a power means for actuation thereof which may take the form of a pneumatic cylinder 34 mounted on a supporting plate extending from the members 28 of the magazine. As may best be seen in FIG. 2, the faces of the magazines are provided with a transverse, elongated feed aperture, the aperture for the face 22a of the magazine 22 being indicated at 37 in FIG. 2. The feed aperture for the magazine 21 is indicated at 38 in FIG. 1.

Returning to FIG. 4, partition members are stacked in each of the magazines as indicated at 33, the partition members having their slotted edges facing inwardly. They are held in proper position by the extending leg 41 of an angle member 42, the leg 41 extending into the registering slots in the stack of partition members. The lower end of the member 42 terminates at the upper margin of the feed aperture so that the lowermost partition member in the stack may be projected through the aperture by the member 32. It will be understood that the magazine 22 has identical partition member stack orienting means and projecting means as described with reference to the magazine 21.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, the guiding and supporting structure for the partition members projected from the feed aperture into assembled relation will be described. FIGS. 2 and show the face 22a of the magazine 22 and it should be kept in mind that the face of the magazine 21 is a duplicate of face 22a. Mounted on the face 22a of the magazine is a series of elongated guide members 46. The guide members 46 are generally V-shaped in transverse cross-section and are mounted in supporting blocks 46a so that the bight of the angle subtended by the guide members faces the opposite, or remote magazine face. The upper ends 4612 of the guide members 46 are disposed closely adjacent the feed aperture 37. The blocks 46a on which the guide members are mounted may be fastened to the face 22a by means of bolts and slots or by any similar means which provides some sideward adjustability of the position of the guide members. The guide members are spaced from each other a distance which is substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in the partition members being assembled, and the guide members are disposed parallel to the axis of motion of the magazine to which they are attached.

In operation, referring particularly to FIG. 5, assuming that the magazines are in their uppermost positions Within the magazine supporting frames (the magazine 22 is shown in its lowermost position in FIG. 5), the feed aperture 37 will be aligned with the edge of the partition member 51 and the feed aperture 38 of the magazine 21 (not shown in FIG. 5) will be aligned with the partition member 52. Assuming that the partition members 51 and 52 have not been projected from their respective magazines, by means of a control circuit integrating the magazine contacting switches 26, the circuit not being disclosed herein and forming no part of the present invention, the power means for projecting the lowermost slotted partition members in the respective magazine stacks will be actuated (the power means for such projection of the partition members for the magazine 21 being indicated at 15 in FIG. 1). Actuation of this power means projects partition members 51 and 52 from the feed apertures causing them to intersect midway between the two, opposed, planar faces of the magazines with their slots receiving the unslotted portion of the opposite partition member. Immediately after actuation of the partition member projecting means, downward motion of both magazines occurs. This motion is terminated by means of a photo-responsive cell 71 mounted by means of the brackets 72 to the magazine face. A light source 73 is mounted on the opposite side of the magazine by means of the bracket 74 and the line of sight between these two elements extends across the lower edge of the feed aperture. It Will be understood that the magazine 21, not shown in FIG. 5, has a similar photo cell and light source couple. As the two magazines move downwardly from their positions at which the partition members 51 and 52 were assembled, the line of sight between the photo cell and light source mounted on the magazine face 22a will be blocked by the partition 52. Similarly, the corresponding photo cell and light source line of sight on the face of the mag azine 21 will be blocked by the partition member 51. The line of sight for both magazines, however, will be cleared when the next slot in the partition member 52 is reached and when the next slot in the partition member 51 is reached. Actuation of the photo cell by light shining through the slots referred to will thereupon, through the control circuit previously mentioned, halt the motion of the two magazines. These will now be positioned so that the feed aperture 37 is aligned with the next slot in the partition member 52 and the feed aperture 38 of magazine 21 is aligned with the next slot in the partition member 51. As soon as this position is reached, the partition member projecting means is again actuated so that partition members 53 and 54 are projected from the respective feed apertures and are added to the cell partition assembly. This cycle of operation is again repeated, with the magazines retreating to their lowermost position and the final cell partition members 55 and 56 are projected from the respective feed apertures. It should be noted that during the addition of partition members to the assembly in pairs as the magazines move from their uppermost to their lowermost positions, the upper ends 46b of the guide members 46 guide and support the partition members projected through the feed aperture 37 and these guide members also guide the final positioning of the partition members projected from the opposite magazines feed aperture by receiving the edge of these partition members in the bight areas of the guide members.

With a partition cell assembly completed, as shown in FIG. 5, means are provided for ejecting the completed assembly upwardly and outwardly from between the proposed magazine faces. A means for ejecting the completed assembly is shown in FIG. 3, this structure being omitted from the other figures for purposes of preventing obscuring of the structure there shown. A bracket 74 is supported on two adjacent transverse members 11 and carries downwardly extending, stationary guide rods 76. These guide rods are anchored to a plate 77 which is apertured to receive the threaded shaft 78, the shaft having an adjusting hand wheel 79 attached to its end. Threaded on the shaft 78 and guided by the rods 76 is a member 81. Rigidly attached to and extending upwardly from the member 81 are members 82. At the upper ends of the members 82 are rigidly secured two identical members 83, only one of which is visible in FIG. 3 and between which the members 82 extend. By adjusting the shaft 78 it will be understood that the members 83 may be positioned so as to be engaged by the lowermost edges of the partition members in a completed cell partition assembly such as shown in FIG. 5.

A bracket 84, similar to bracket 74 is mounted on the other two adjacent transverse members 11. Extending downwardly from the bracket 84 are guide rods 85 which are anchored in a plate 86. Threaded in the plate 86 is a threaded shaft 87 carrying a hand wheel 88 at its lower end. Threaded on the shaft 87 are the sidewardly extending flanges 88 and 89 of a bracket 90. The upper end of the plate 90 carries tubular members 91 which guide the rods 92 extending therethrough. Secured to the upper ends of the rods 92 is a member 93 which extends between the slightly spaced members 83. From the foregoing it will be evident that by adjustment of the threaded shaft 87 the plate 90 and consequently the member 93 may be adjustably positioned so that it will engage the lower edges of the partition members of a completed cell partition assembly. The member 93 is utilized to eject the partition assembly from the apparatus and the means for providing this ejecting action comprises a link 94 attached at its upper end to the member 93 and at its lower end to the thrust member 95 of a pneumatic cylinder 96, the cylinder being mounted on the plate 90. When the partition assembly has been completed as evidenced by the magazines reaching their lowermost position and actuating the switches 27 carried by the magazine support frames, the cylinder 96 will be actuated so as to sharply move the member 93 upwardly between the members 83 to, for example, its broken line position of FIG. 3 which is indicated at 93a. This upward movement of the member 93 is sufficient to eject the completed partition assembly from the space between the two opposed faces of the magazines. After this ejecting action the power means for moving the magazines may be again actuated to move the magazines to their uppermost position and the assembling operation can be repeated.

It should be particularly noted that because the upper edges or ends of the members 46 and their bight areas guide the partition members as they are projected between the magazine faces, lower quality paper board can be used than would be the case where no such guiding means is provided. Further, it should be noted that the partition members, prior to their assembly and when stacked in the magazines, are oriented on an intermediate one of their slots and not on the outer edges of the partition members, thus obviating the necessity that the partition members be accurately dimensioned in order to permit proper operation of the apparatus. While the apparatus described shows the fabrication of one completed cell partition assembly as the magazines move through their range of motion, it will be understood that multiple magazine supports and magazines, all operating in unison, could be provided and such an apparatus would assemble a plurality of cell partition assemblies simultaneously.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for making an assembly of cell partition members Which have spaced slots along one margin, two magazine support frames mounted with their sides in spaced, parallel relation to each other, a magazine mounted upon each of said frames and adapted for rectilinear movement within the respective frame, the axes of movement of said magazines being at ninety degrees with each other, said magazines having planar, opposed faces with each opposed face having an elongated feed aperture sized to pass a single, partition member, the major axes of said apertures being transverse to the axis of motion of its respective magazine, a series of elongated guide members mounted on each of said magazine faces and disposed parallel to the axis of motion of their respective magazines, said guide members being generally V-shaped in transverse cross section with their bight facing the remote magazine face and their ends disposed closely adjacent the feed aperture of the magazine face to which they are attached, the guide members being spaced within each series a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in the partition members, power means for moving said magazines within their support frames in increments substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in said partition members, each of said magazines having an element adapted to project a partition member through its feed aperture at the termination of each of said motion increments of said magazine, whereby partition members may be added in pairs to the cell partition member assembly as the incremental motion of said magazines proceeds, with said ends of said guide members at the feed apertures supporting partition members projected from their adjacent feed aperture and the bight of said guide members guiding the partition members projected from the remote feed aperture.

2. In an apparatus for making an assembly of cell partition members which have spaced slots along one margin, two magazine support frames mounted with their sides in spaced, parallel relation to each other, a magazine mounted upon each of said frames and adapted for rectilinear movement within the respective frame, the axes of movement of said magazines being at ninety degrees with each other, said magazines having planar, opposed faces with each opposed face having an elongated feed aperture sized to pass a single, partition member, the major axes of said apertures being transverse to the axis of motion of its respective magazine, a series of guide means mounted on each of said magazine faces, said guide means having portions presenting a generally V-shaped surface to the remote magazine face and having further portions disposed closely adjacent the feed aperture of the magazine face to which they are attached, the guide means being spaced within each series a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in the partition members, power means for moving said magazines within their support frames in increments substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in said partition members, each of said magazines having an element adapted to project a partition member through its feed aperture at the termination of each of said motion increments of said magazine, whereby partition members may be added in pairs to the cell partition member assembly as the incremental motion of said magazines proceeds with said further portions of said guide means at the feed apertures supporting partition members projected from their adjacent feed aperture and the V-shaped surface of said first mentioned guide means portions guiding the partiti on members projected from the remote feed aperture.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 having means for adjustably positioning said support frames in relation to each other in a direction transverse to the direction of incremental motion of said magazines.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which said power means includes photoelectric means carried by each of said magazines for defining the magnitude of the motion increments of said magazines.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which each of the magazines is provided with a member extending through at least one of the slots .in the partition members stacked in the magazine to orient the stacked partition members within the magazine.

6. In an apparatus for making an assembly of cell partition members which have spaced slots along one margin, two magazine support frames mounted with their sides in spaced, parallel relation to each other, a magazine mounted upon each of said frames and adapted for rectilinear movement wvithin the respective frame, the axes of movement of said magazines being at ninety degrees with each other, said magazines having planar, opposed faces with each opposed face having an elongated feed aperture sized to pass a single, partition member, the major axes of said apertures being transverse to the axis of motion of its respective magazine, power means for moving said magazines within their support frames in increments substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in said partition members, each of said magazines having an eiement adapted to project a partition member through its feed aperture at the termination of each of said motion increments of said magazine, and guide means carried by said magazines for supporting the partition members as they travel toward each other from their respective guide apertures.

7. In an apparatus for making an assembly of cell partition members which have spaced slots along one margin, two magazine support frames mounted with their sides in spaced, parallel relation to each other, a magazine mounted upon each of said frames and adapted for rectilinear movement within the respective frame, the axes of movement of said magazines being at ninety degrees with each other, said magazines having opposed faces with each opposed face having an elongated feed aperture sized to pass a single, partition member, the major axes of said apertures being transverse to the axis of motion of its respective magazine, a series of guide means mounted on each of said magazine faces, said guide means having portions presenting V-shaped surface to the remote magazine face and having further portions disposed closely adjacent the feed aperture of the magazine face to which they are attached, the guide means being spaced within each series a distancesubstantially equal to the distance separating the slots in the partition members, power means for moving said magazines within their support frames in increments substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in said partition members, means adapted to project a partition member through each of said feed apertures at the termination of said motion increments of said magazines, whereby partition members may be added in pairs to the cell partitionmember assembly as the incremental motion of said magazines proceeds, with said further portions of said guide means at the feed apertures supporting partition members projected from their adjacent feed aperture and the V-shaped surface of said first mentioned guide means portions guiding the partition members projected from the remote feed aperture.

8. In an apparatus for making an assembly of cell partition members which have spaced slots along one margin, two magazines mounted in spaced relation to each other and adapted for rectilinear movement, the axes of movement of said magazines being at ninety degrees with each other, said magazines having planar, opposed faces with each opposed face having an elongated feed aperture sized to pass a single partition member, the major axes of said apertures being transverse to the axis of motion of its respective magazine, a series of elongated guide members mounted on said magazine face and disposed parallel to the axis of motion of their respective magazines, said guide members being generally V-shaped in transverse cross section with their bight facing the remote magazine face and their ends disposed ctlosely adjacent the feed aperture of the magazine face to which they are attached, the guide members being spaced within each series a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in the partition members, power means for moving said magazines in increments substantially equal to the distance separating the slots in said partition members, each of said magazines having an element adapted to project a partition member through its feed aperture at the termination of each, of said motion increments, whereby partition members may be added in pairs to the cell partition member assembly as the incremental motion of said magazines proceeds, with said ends of said guide members at the feed apertures supporting partition members projected from their adjacent feed aperture and the bight of said guide members guiding the partition members projected from the remote feed aperture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,355,461 8/1944 Nichols 9337 2,392,005 1/1946 Shields 9337 2,478,794 8/ 1949 Vail 93-37 FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR MAKING AN ASSEMBLY OF CELL PARTITION MEMBERS WHICH HAVE SPACED SLOTS ALONG ONE MARGIN, TWO MAGAZINE SUPPORT FRAMES MOUNTED WITH THEIR SIDES IN SPACED, PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER, A MAGAZINE MOUNTED UPON EACH OF SAID FRAMES AND ADAPTED FOR RECTILINEAR MOVEMENT WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE FRAME, THE AXES OF MOVEMENT OF SAID MAGAZINES BEING AT NINETY DEGREES WITH EACH OTHER, SAID MAGAZINES HAVING PLANAR, OPPOSED FACES WITH EACH OPPOSED FACE HAVING AN ELONGATED FEED APERTURE SIZED TO PASS A SINGLE, PARTITION MEMBER, THE MAJOR AXES OF SAID APERTURES BEING TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF MOTION OF ITS RESPECTIVE MAGAZINE, A SERIES OF ELONGATED GUIDE MEMBERS MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID MAGAZINE FACES AND DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF MOTION OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MAGAZINES, SAID GUIDE MEMBERS BEING GENERALLY V-SHAPED IN TRANSVERSE CROSS SECTION WITH THEIR BIGHT FACING THE REMOTE MAGAZINE FACE AND THEIR ENDS DISPOSED CLOSELY ADJACENT THE FEED APERTURE OF THE MAGAZINE FACE TO WHICH THEY ARE ATTACHED, THE GUIDE MEMBERS BEING SPACED WITHIN EACH SERIES A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE SEPARATING THE SLOTS IN THE PARTION MEMBERS, POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MAGAZINES WITHIN THEIR SUPPORT FRAMES IN INCREMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE SEPARATING THE SLOTS IN SAID PARTITION MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID MAGAZINES HAVING AN ELEMENT ADAPTED TO PROJECT A PARTITION MEMBER THROUGH ITS FEED APERTURE AT THE TERMINATION OF EACH OF SAID MOTION INCREMENTS OF SAID MAGAZINE, WHEREBY PARTITION MEMBERS MAY BE ADDED IN PAIRS TO THE CELL PARTITION MEMBER ASSEMBLY AS THE INCREMENTAL MOTION OF SAID MAGAZINES PROCEEDS, WITH SAID ENDS OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS AT THE FEED APERTURES SUPPORTING PARTITION MEMBERS PROJECTED FROM THEIR ADJACENT FEED APERTURE AND THE BIGHT OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS GUIDING THE PARTITION MEMBERS PROJECTED FROM THE REMOTE FEED APERTURE. 